June 14, 2014 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese presidency has denied having confidentially reacted to the recent remarks by the Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni in which he dismissed president Salva Kiir’s claims of a coup attempt in Juba at the IGAD regional leaders summit held on Tuesday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The presidents of Uganda and South Sudan Yoweri Museveni (L) and Salva Kiir walk side by side (Photo: Getty Images)

Various independent and social media outlets on Saturday published and widely discussed a “leaked” internal memo from the presidency in which president Kiir allegedly reacted to the statement by president Museveni who “surprisingly” admitted that there was no coup attempt in Juba as alleged by government.

Museveni, who is president Kiir’s closest ally in the war, told the heads of state at the IGAD summit during a hot closed-door debate with the rebel leader Riek Machar that the six-month old crisis was simply ignited by a misunderstanding within units of the presidential guards on 15 December and not a coup attempt.

In a silent reaction, however, president Kiir allegedly circulated an internal confidential memo on Thursday to specific government officials and institutions in which he confirmed Museveni’s statement, but cautioned officials against any public reaction on the matter.

President Kiir, in the leaked memo, appeared disappointed by his Ugandan counterparts remarks, but praised the latter for standing with his government during the difficult time.

“President Museveni is the only leader who defends this government. He is a true friend to me and my government. The president of Uganda acted in the IGAD meeting without consulting me,” Kiir reportedly said in the memo, adding that an urgent meeting needed to be held in order to brief the government about what transpired in Addis Ababa.

“I warn you not to talk against him [Museveni] or his government in the media” he further cautioned.

The South Sudanese leader reportedly informed officials that he already spoke to president Museveni on Wednesday and that the latter assured him not to get worried about his no coup remarks at the IGAD summit.

PRESIDENCY DENIES

But officials from the presidency dismissed these reports as false and that the president never circulated any memo.

“This is not true. It is a false. The president never made any comment on the remark attributed to the Ugandan president”, presidential spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny said Monday.

The minister for the presidency, Awan Guol Riak separately told Sudan Tribune that he was “not aware” of any internal memo nor heard the president cautioning senior government officials not to publicly react to statements attributed to his Ugandan counterpart.

“I am not aware.There is no such memo which I know. There are no directives given to the government officials by the president”, Riak said Monday.

The news about Museveni’s u-turn on the narrative about the alleged coup was revealed by Machar, who currently leads an armed opposition fighting against the Juba government.

Machar told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that he had to congratulate president Museveni during a hot debate involving president Kiir in the presence of the IGAD heads of state when the Ugandan head of state for the first time admitted there was no coup attempt in Juba.

Machar also revealed that Kiir had to keep silent and could not react to Museveni’s new position during the debate.

The ex-VP has been explaining that the 15 December crisis was fabricated by Kiir and Museveni in order to get rid of rival political reformists within the ruling (SPLM) party, resulting to the “imposed war” on his resistance movement.

DIPLOMATIC FARCE

An observer at the Addis Ababa peace talks between the two warring parties said the admission was “truthfully embarrassing” to president Kiir.

“Though truthful, the remarks were an embarrassing to president Kiir who only depended on president Museveni to help him sell the coup attempt narrative as other regional governments and the international community have from the onset rejected the allegation,” said an observer at the Addis Ababa peace talks between the two warring parties.

MUSEVENI’S PAST EMBARRASSING REMARKS

It is not for the first time that the Ugandan leader uttered statements that were seen by many to have embarrassed his South Sudanese counterpart.

Last month while speaking at a political party gathering in support of one of his party candidates in Uganda, president Museveni said he would “hang himself” if his country was to depend on foreign troops like South Sudan.

The statement attracted fierce criticisms in South Sudan with some calling for the Ugandan leader to retract the remarks and apologise to the government and people of South Sudan.

The armed opposition group led by Machar, have voiced their concerns about Museveni’s role, saying he has damaging political influence on president Kiir’s decisions and accused him of co-architecting the 15 December South Sudan internal crisis of which thousands of his troops are still actively providing air and ground attacks against rebels.

(ST)

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The Sudan Tribune editorial team.

16 June 2014 22:34, by Ahmed Chol

culture of lies and deception has not helped any country that used it and always leads to ruins and destructions.

As the media has already said museveni was the only buyer of the cooked coup and no one else was willing to buy; now museveni the only buyer denied there was a coup who else can believe this government. Rebels have told the truth and the truth set them free. Now rebel barrack is on the way to be estahlished in eastern equatoria Lokichigio as you have read from the news. Torit will fall soon.

comrade Dr. Cirino Ofuho was not quiet this time for nothing, he was busy mobilizing and talking with his agents inside the government. I have said it days ago that thousands of youth have already been mobilize. It is upto Kenya now to accept democracy and peace in south sudan or keep quiet. Red carpet welcome was a sign of support for rebels and what is Dinka going to do now?

The game was planned by Dinka long time ago to push out the Nuer so that they can rule forever. They plan to use other tribes to first reduce Nuer number and then turn around and used the remaining nuer and mercenaries to reduce other small tribes. The objective is for them to rule forever with no threat. As someone has already said in other forums that SS Television is Dinka TV. They sing hatred

songs for hours on SSTV. Their plan of colonization, humiliation of other tribes is being promoted through SSTV. national tv is suppose to promote peace, justice, democracy and unity among citizens so as to bring development and work as one people, but unfortunately it is own by Dinka and they used it to do whatever they wish. Now is Nuer tomorrow is us. Better to take action now ya Jamaa.

i can see all your comments finish with Dinka, Dinka.
it was first sang by nuer and now it fitted them upto bottle neck. that is Dinkaphobia. now is your turn to test Dinka and you will face the consequences of what you are instigating. Jieng ameen juor ku acik leu, Monyjang ameen bai ku acik leu. in Nhialic Dinka truth, we will survive like Isreal what ever devil wishes against Dinka.

Mohamed,
Don’t worry about it. Dr. Machar’s intelligence is superior to that of mad dog Museveni. See how he lured Museveni into publicly dismissing the coup attempt in front of all the IGAD leaders. Next time Museveni will vow before Dr. Machar and help him arrest Kiir Kuethpiny.

Midiit
You have been singing into our ears that SPLA was 70 or 80% Nuer and that was a license for you to take South Sudan leadership by force. Now it’s been six months already since you coup attempt; what happened to your massive Nuer army? >>>>

>>>Now you’re shamelessly reduced to outsourcing your quest for leadership to Ugandan president to arrest president Kiir!? You can never have the leadership through lies but with power! Where is your 80% nuer army to create a space in South Sudan for riek machar to operate? Or is he going to be running between Addis Ababa and Nairobi for the rest of his life!

Force 1,
No one can deny Nuer bravery. We all have seen it in the last six months. We the Dinka are the one that are really ashamed because if it wasn’t for UDF or M7 we would all be under Riek leadership now. To me, nothing to make noise about let’s just swallow this shameful pill and live with M7 bad mouthing Comrade Kiir and entire Dinka community.

Chol Mading
There are no UDF in Unity State, Upper Nile State and on the other side of Bahr El Gazelle region; if UDF is the problem to Nuer tribal army; then how come Nuer tribal army is not in control of Unity State, Upper Nile and the entire region of Bahr El Gazelle? Uganda troops are only in Bor Town; so; what’s your argument here?!

force one lying and pretensions are clear signs of lack of leadership and religion.Chol Mading is not only a true leader but also a godly person who can give credit where and when it is due and to whom it may concern. you talk of absence of UPDF in Unity and Upper Nile states but who about JEM and its allied militias in Unity State as well as SPLA North and its allied militias in Upper Nile state?

for your superficial understanding you might fail to know that those JEM and its allied militias and SPLA North and its allied militias are UPDF friends who have been contracted by M7 to fight for kiir in those areas bordering Sudan because UPDF presence and participation there directly would force Bashir to wipe both M7 and his student kiir off the face of Africa as both are flies to Bashir

the deal is this: M7 takes money in hard currency from insane and stupid kiir and gives weapons and ammunition to JEM and SPLA North as well as paying house rents for the leaders of these notorious mercenaries. so do you think UPDF is not in Unity and Upper Nile states now? kiir knows he is going to die soon and wanted all S.Sudanese to die with him out of greed and jealousy.

When Khartoum’s aircraft bombed the Dinka for thirteen [13] years following your defection, operating in tandem with your militias on the ground... was that not cowardice!? Or do you suppose that you are entitled to an exemption from the demands of a moral code that you don’t actually prescribe to!?

Are you really going to pretend that your people did not establish and nurture military alliances with Khartoum during the war!? Do you recall the decades in which you defended oilfields on behalf of the Arab oligarchy!? You had a larger alliance with Khartoum during the war, and so you’re really in no position to scorn others.

Do you recall how you were so desperately reliant upon Khartoum’s weapons, ammunition, supplies, logistical support and food relief? Do you recall the military engagements that you executed in tandem with Khartoum against us!? The Ugandans have thus far only provided and deployed three [3] to four [4] battalions in South Sudan, interspersed in Juba, Bor and Western and Eastern Equatoria...

I evoke the dynamics and events of the past in order to temper and make embarrassingly redundant the rhetoric of certain people that seem resigned to inducing themselves into a state of amnesia; a state of amnesia whose only purpose is to wipe clean their documented history of working in tandem with Khartoum during the war.

Is Kuol Manyang Ugandan? Or do you suppose that he was Ugandan when Dinka soldiers under his command defeated Riek’s troops in a large and unforgettable battle at Gut-Makur, a village just outside Mongalla. Riek’s forces were then defeated at Wuor Baar. Our forces then entered Dinka territory at Gem, defeated all opposing forces in Nuer territory at Kuac Deng...

.. With Riek’s forces experiencing defeat after being pursued, hounded and cut down as far as Uror, Akobo, Nyirol, Yuai and Ayod. Were the Ugandans present when all of this was happening? I can’t believe that you people wish to complain about only three [3] to four [4] thousand Ugandan soldiers when Khartoum deployed its entire army against us during the civil war.

BNuer
Aren’t you the same people who claimed that Museveni is on riek side; because he denies the coup in South Sudan? Who then is supporting president Kiir by providing UPDF in BOR Town? Did you guys know; when you make an argument in any debate; what you said has to make sense?

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